maidenhair fern Adiantum pedatum sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis

Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides bracken fern Pteridium aquilinum

broad beech fern Phegopteris hexagonoptera royal fern Osmunda regalis

spinulose wood fern (left & inset) Dryopteris carthusianamarginal shield fern (right & inset) Dryopteris marginalis narrow-leaved glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon

Appalachian filmy fern Trichomanes boschianum rock polypody Polypodium virginianum

black-footed quillwort Isoëtes melanopoda Mexican mosquito fern Azolla mexicana

northern lady fern Athyrium felix-femina water clover Marsilea quadrifolia

ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron

common woodsia Woodsia obtusa

purple cliff brake Pellaea atropurpurea

eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris

slender lip fern Cheilanthes feei

walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum

scouring rush Equisetum hyemale

shining fir moss Huperzia lucidula

silvery glade fern Deparia acrostichoides

net-veined chain fern Woodwardia areolata

rattlesnake fern (top) Botrychium virginianumbronze grapefern (bottom) B. dissectum v. obliquum

adder’s tongue fern Ophioglossum vulgatum

cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea

southern running pine Diphasiastrum digitatum

meadow spike moss Selaginella apoda

The ferns and their relatives (lycophytes) living today give us aglimpse of what the earth’s vegetation looked like hundreds of

millions of years ago when they were the dominant plants. Found inall but the coldest and driest environments, there are about 12,000species of ferns and lycophytes worldwide, the third most numerousplant group aer seed plants and bryophytes (mosses, liverworts,hornworts). is poster depicts 31 of the 110 types of ferns and lyco-phytes found in Illinois. Native ferns are important ecological com-ponents, and they can also be used for ornamentation, landscaping,fertilizer and food. Moreover, these beautiful and curious plantsprovide excellent subjects for botanical education. The fascinatingferns are part of Illinois’ wonderful natural heritage!

is tree shows a current concept of theevolutionary relationships amongIllinois fern (green) and lycophyte(yellow) families (modified from Smithet al. 2006). Diphasiastrum, Selaginella,and Isoëtes are members of an earlierbranching group called lycophytes.Although sometimes called “fern allies,”they are only distantly related to ferns.In contrast, Equisetum, once considereddistinct, is indeed a fern! eserelatively new concepts come fromsperm structure and DNA data.

is poster made possible by:

Illinois Department ofNatural ResourcesDivision of Education

Text by: Daniel Nickrent, Southern Illinois University CarbondalePhoto credits and copyrights ©:

Daniel Nickrent (DN), Southern Illinois University CarbondalePeter Pelser (PP), University of Canterbury, New ZealandRobbin Moran (RM), New York Botanical GardenJohn Ta (JT), Illinois Natural History Survey

Funding for this poster was made possible in part by contributions to theIllinois Wildlife Preservation Fund.

Pteridaceae

Woodsiaceae

Aspleniaceae

ThelypteridaceaeBlechnaceaeOnocleaceae

Dryopteridaceae

Polypodiaceae

Dennstaedtiaceae

HymenophyllaceaeOsmundaceaeEquisetaceae

Ophioglossaceae

IsoëtaceaeSelaginellaceae Lycopodiaceae

MarsileaceaeSalviniaceae

Polypodium virginanumDryopteris carthusianaDryopteris marginalisPolystichum acrostichoidesOnoclea sensibilisWoodwardia areolata Phegopteris hexagonoptera!elypteris palustrisAthyrium felix-feminaDeparia acrostichoidesDiplazium pycnocarponWoodsia obtusaAsplenium platyneuronAsplenium rhizophyllumAdiantum pedatumCheilanthes feeiPellaea atropurpureaPteridium aquilinumAzolla mexicanaMarsilea quadrifoliaTrichomanes boschianum Osmunda cinnamomeaOsmunda regalisEquisetum hyemaleBotrychium dissectum var. obliquumBotrychium virginianumOphioglossum vulgatumIsoëtes melanopodaSelaginella apodaDiphasiastrum digitatumHuperzia lucidula

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The life cycle of ferns and lycophytes involves two very different looking stages: thehaploid gametophyte that makes gametes (sperm and egg) and the diploid sporo-phyte that makes spores. These plants do not produce seeds as are seen in floweringplants. The sporophyte is the phase familiar to most people. A typical life cycle, thatof the marginal wood fern (Dryopteris marginalis), is illustrated. The frond (1) is com-posed of pinnae (2) which are divided into pinnules (3). This fern gets its name fromthe sori that are along the margins (edges) on the underside of the pinnules. The sorus(shown cut in half in 4) protects its sporangia by an umbrella-shaped indusium. Onesporangium (5) contains 64 haploid spores that are produced by meiosis. The sporesare dispersed from the sporangium by a catapult type mechanism. When they landon a moist surface, they germinate (6) and eventually form a prothallus (7) througha cell division type called mitosis. This gametophyte phase of the life cycle, seldomseen by people, is small, green and thin. On the underside of the prothallus two organsmay form: the antheridium (8) and the archegonium (9). The antheridium producesmany sperm that require water to swim to the archegonium that holds a single eggcell. When a sperm fertilizes an egg, a single-celled diploid zygote is produced. Al-though the prothallus shown here has both antheridia and archegonia, most fernshave mechanisms to prevent self fertilization. The zygote undergoes mitotic cell divi-sions to form an embryo and, with further development, a young sporophyte (10)that at first remains attached to the prothallus. With time the gametophyte disinte-grates, and the sporophyte grows into the large, leafy fern plant.

l All of the fossil fuel (coal, oil, natural gas) used today derives from the fossil re-mains of large lycophytes and ferns that lived during the Carboniferous Period300 million years ago.

l The water fern (Salvinia molesta) can double its population size in just over twodays. Three years after it was introduced to Kariba Lake in Africa, it covered over390 square miles of water.

l Bracken fern (Pteridium) and water clover (Marsillea) produce an enzyme calledthiaminase that destroys thiamine, an important vitamin. Improper amounts ofthiamine can cause nutritional problems and the disease called beriberi.

l Some species in the genera Vittaria, Hymenophyllum and Trichomanes are knownin North America only as gametophytes. The sporophyte generation (with fronds)never forms.

l Some tropical fern and Selaginella species live in deep shade and glow an iridescentblue-green.

l A single plant of the marginal wood fern (Dryopteris marginalis) can produce 67million spores.

l About half of the fern species on earth today are polyploid, that is, they have extrasets of chromosomes (often following hybridization). Despite this, many of these“extra” genes are silenced, and the species behave genetically like diploids.

People who study ferns (pteridologists) use some special terms to refer to the parts ofa fern. The fern leaf is called a frond and is composed of the stipe and blade. Whenthe frond is young, it unfurls from a coiled shape that resembles the curled end of afiddle, thus the name fiddlehead is used. The fronds of many ferns arise from a hor-izontal stem that bears roots, a rhizome. If the fern frond is compound, the blade isdivided into subdivisions called pinnae that attach to the rachis. In some species, thepinnae are further subdivided into pinnules. On the underside of the pinnule, smallstructures called sori are present. The sorus is sometimes covered by a protective tissuecalled the indusium. Inside are the sporangia that produce spores.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources provides additional information and resources aboutferns and lycophytes in our state. The Division of Natural Heritage monitors populations of plantspecies and makes and implements management options. The Division of Ecosystems and Envi-ronment reviews development plans proposed by state and local governments and recommendsmeasures to reduce or avoid adverse impacts to threatened or endangered species and their habitats.The Education Section provides educational materials and teacher training on a variety of naturalresources topics and offers grants for schoolyard wildlife habitat development and field trips forstudents. Many publications related to plants and wildlife habitat development are available throughthe publications order form at http://dnr.state.il.us/teachkids.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources

One Natural Resources WaySpringfield, IL 62702-1271

Division of Ecosystems and Environment217-785-5500

http://dnr.state.il.us/orep/

Education Section217-524-4126

dnr.teachkids@illinois.govhttp://dnr.state.il.us/education

Division of Natural Heritage217-785-8774

http://dnr.state.il.us/conservation/naturalheritage

Equal opportunity to participate in programs of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and those funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies is availableto all individuals regardless of race, sex, national origin, disability, age, religion or other non-merit factors. If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the funding source’scivil rights office and/or the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, IDNR, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702-1271; 217-785-0067; TTY 217/782-9175. This informationmay be provided in an alternative format if required. Contact the DNR Clearinghouse at 217/782-7498 for assistance.

Printed by the Authority of the State of Illinois.11.5M – 6/10 • IOCI 0824-10

Illinois Ferns © 2010, Illinois Department of Natural Resources

antheridium the male organ on the prothallus that produces sperm cells

archegonium the female organ on the prothallus that produces the egg cell

blade the broad, upper part of the leaf, as opposed to the stipe

chromosome structure within the cell nucleus that contains DNA

diploid with two sets of chromosomes

egg the female sex cell

embryo the young sporophyte that forms from the zygote

fiddlehead the young leaf that is still coiled

frond the fern leaf, composed of a stipe and a blade

gametophyte the haploid plant that produces sex cells (gametes)

haploid having one set of chromosomes

indusium a tissue that covers and protects the sorus

meiosis a cell division type that halves the chromosome number in thefour resulting cells

mitosis a cell division type where the chromosome number of the tworesulting cells remains the same as the original cell

pinna (pl. pinnae) – a subdivision of the leaf blade that is fullyseparated from the rachis

pinnatifid a frond or pinna that is cleft or lobed only part way to its axis

pinnule a subdivision of the pinna

prothallus the flat, often heart-shaped gametophyte

rachis the upper stalk of the blade where the pinnae attach

rhizome a horizontal stem, often just below ground

sorus (pl. sori) – a grouping of sporangia on the underside of thepinnae or pinnules

sperm the male sex cell

sporangium the small capsule that bears the spores

spore small, single-celled body produced via meiosis that forms withinsporangia

sporophyte the diploid plant that produces spores

stipe the lower stalk of the blade

zygote the cell that is the immediate product of fertilization (egg plussperm)

Cobb, B., E. Farnsworth, and C. Lowe. 2005. A field guide to ferns and their related fam-ilies of northeastern and central North America. 2nd edition. Houghton Mifflin Co. NewYork. 415 pp.

Flora of North America Editorial Committee. 1993. Volume 2, pteridophytes and gym-nosperms. Oxford University Press, New York. 475 pp.

Hoshizaki, B. J. and R. C. Moran. 2001. Fern growers manual. Timber Press, Portland,Oregon. 604 pp.

Moran, R. C. 2004. A natural history of ferns. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. 301 pp.

Mohlenbrock, R. H. 1999. The illustrated flora of Illinois – ferns, 2nd edition. SouthernIllinois University Press, Carbondale, Illinois. 240 pp.

Mohlenbrock, R. H. 1986. Guide to the vascular flora of Illinois. Southern Illinois Uni-versity Press, Carbondale, Illinois. 507 pp.

Smith, A. R., K. M. Pryer, E. Schuettpelz, P. Korall, H. Schneider, and P. G. Wolf. 2006.A classification for extant ferns. Taxon 55: 705–731.

northern maidenhair fern Adiantum peda-tum – This delicate fern is found in shadedwoodlands throughout Illinois. It can be rec-ognized by its triangular pinnae with a “falseindusium.” Here the edge of the pinna wrapsaround the sorus, thus enclosing it.

ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron –Despite its name, this fern’s rachis is mostoften dark brown, not black. It is common inthe southern part of the state, being found inboth dry and moist habitats. The sori are“canoe-shaped” with the indusium being at-tached along one edge.

walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum – Thisevergreen fern gets its name from the elongatedleaves that form small plantlets at the tip. Itgrows on limestone, usually in dense coloniesbecause older plants remain attached to theirfamily of plantlets. It is found mainly in south-ern Illinois and along the Mississippi River.

northern lady fern Athyrium felix-femina –The finely cut fronds make this a very attractivefern. Two varieties of this species are found inmoist woodlands throughout the state.

Mexican mosquito fern Azolla mexicana –This aquatic fern (and its close relative A. car-oliniana) grows on mud or floating on water.The fronds harbor cyanobacteria that removenitrogen from the air and thereby make it avail-able to the plant in a symbiotic relationship.

bronze grapefern Botrychium dissectum var.obliquum – This variety is commonly foundthroughout Illinois in open oak-hickory woodsand pastures. The fronds have two differentlooking portions: a photosynthetic part and afertile part that bears the sporangia.

rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum –Found statewide, this species has bright green,deciduous fronds that appear early in thespring. The fertile part of the frond arises fromthe same point as the sterile parts.

slender lip fern Cheilanthes feei –This woollylittle fern with rounded pinnules grows on ex-posed limestone cliffs in counties borderingthe Mississippi River in the southern part ofthe state.

silvery glade fern Deparia acrostichoides –Thisfern can be recognized by its pinnate frondswith pinnatifid pinnae. The sori are elongated,initially silvery and arranged in a herringbonepattern. The species can be found throughoutmuch of Illinois.

southern running-pine Diphasiastrum digi-tatum – Unlike the ferns, this lycophyte pro-duces spores in small, yellowish cones arrangedlike a candelabra at the stem tip. The leaves aresmall and narrow on branched stems. Thisspecies is rarely seen in Illinois.

narrow-leaved glade fern Diplazium pycno-carpon – This tall fern has separate sterile andfertile fronds that are narrow, bright green, andonce pinnately compound. It has elongated soriarranged in a herringbone pattern. This speciesis occasionally found in the southern three-fourths of the state in moist ravines andcanyons.

spinulose wood fern Dryopteris carthusiana –The rhizome and lower stipe of this fern aredensely scaly, the blade twice or three timespinnately compound. The sori are positionedinward from the margin of the pinnules andhave a kidney-shaped indusium.

marginal wood fern Dryopteris marginalis –This species gets its name from the position ofthe sori along the margin (edge) on the under-sides of the pinnae. The evergreen fronds aremore leathery than D. carthusiana. It is mostcommon in the southern one-fourth of thestate.

scouring rush Equisetum hyemale – Thisspecies grows in every Illinois county, oftenseen along roads, fields and railroad embank-ments. The leaves are tiny (reduced to scales)and occur as sheaths at the stem nodes. Thegrooved stems have silica embedded in the epi-dermis, making them sturdy and abrasive. Thesporangia are borne on umbrella-shaped scaleswithin a terminal cone.

shining fir-moss Huperzia lucidula –This ly-cophyte forms tufted stems with small, lus-trous, evergreen leaves. The kidney-shapedsporangia are inconspicuous, occurring only indefined zones along the stem. This plant occursin cool, shady, moist forests on acidic soils atscattered locations in Illinois.

black-footed quillwort Isoëtes melanopoda –This aquatic species is easily overlooked becauseit resembles a small, tufted onion plant. Thelinear leaves arise from a short stem and amongtheir swollen bases can be found the sporangia.Black-footed quillwort can be found in scat-tered locations throughout Illinois.

water clover Marsilea quadrifolia – Theseaquatic plants, also called water shamrock, havefloating leaves that resemble a four-leaf clover.

Native to Europe but introduced, water cloveroccurs in ponds and lakes in a few locations inthe state.

sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis –This fern getsits name from the deciduous, pinnatifid sterilefronds. The separate fertile fronds have stiffpinnules that tightly enclose the sori. Thesefronds persist through the winter, eventually re-leasing the spores. Sensitive fern is found innearly every Illinois county.

southern adder's-tongue Ophioglossum vul-gatum – This fern has a fertile sporangium-bearing stalk that emerges above the elliptical,succulent sterile blade. This arrangement lookslike a snake with its tongue out! The sporangiaoccur in rows that also look a bit like a rat-tlesnake rattle. Ophioglossum species have thehighest chromosome numbers of any plants -some up to 1,440.

cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea –Reaching three feet in height, this fern is namedfor the color of the fertile fronds. Sterile frondshave up to 30 pairs of pinnatifid, pointed pin-nae with wooly hairs at their base. It is foundin swamps and moist woods in the northernthird of Illinois.

royal fern Osmunda regalis – Royal fern can beidentified by its twice-pinnate fronds with ster-ile pinnae below but “crowned” with fertilepinnae above. It is found in moist woods andswamps and on sandstone ledges.

purple cliff brake Pellaea atropurpurea - Thisfern prefers limestone cliffs and is well adaptedto dry conditions. Its twice pinnate, leatheryfronds are blue-green in color and the pinnulemargins are curved inward. This species occursin counties bordering the Mississippi and Ohiorivers in the southern half of the state.

broad beech fern Phegopteris hexagonoptera –Broad beech fern has triangular fronds that aretwice pinnatifid. The rachis is winged down tothe lowest pair of pinnae. The sori are roundand without an indusium. The presence of thisfairly common species may indicate high-qual-ity woodland habitat.

rock polypody Polypodium virginianum –This common polypody has pinnatifid frondswith round sori that lack an indusium. It growson sandstone in the southern third of the state.

Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides –Thename of this fern derives from the harvest ofthe evergreen leaves at Christmas time and be-cause the pinnae are shaped like a Christmas

stocking. The fronds have sterile pinnae to-wards the base and reduced, fertile pinnae atthe tip of the rachis. This fern is found mostlyin the southern two-thirds of the state.

bracken Pteridium aquilinum - Bracken hasseparate sterile and fertile fronds but they aresimilar in appearance. The blade is broadly tri-angular, divided into three equal parts. Frondsare twice pinnate and the pinnatifid pinnuleshave margins curved inward. Bracken is com-mon throughout the state, often occurring onpoor soil.

meadow spike-moss Selaginella apoda - Thistiny, creeping lycophyte might easily be con-fused with a moss. Its leaves are membranousbut have a central vein. Sporangia are incon-spicuous, being formed among the leaves. It oc-curs on muddy soil in meadows, lawns,swamps and stream banks in scattered locationsthroughout the state.

eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris - Morecommon in the northern half of the state, thisfern prefers wet areas in full sun or partialshade. Sterile and fertile fronds are structurallysimilar. The sori are covered by a hairy, kidney-shaped indusium and are then further pro-tected by the curved margins of the pinnae.

Appalachian filmy fern Trichomanes boschi-anum – This rare fern is found in only threecounties in extreme southern Illinois where itgrows beneath moist, acidic sandstone ledges.Its fronds are one cell layer thick, an adaptationto harvesting the very dim light. The pinnaeare irregularly cut and bear cone-shaped sori atthe tips.

common woodsia Woodsia obtusa – Thisspecies is similar to Cystopteris protrusa but dif-fers from it by the presence of glandular hairson the rachis and blade. The leaves are decidu-ous or may persist throughout the winter. It isfound in about 70 counties in Illinois, often onrocky slopes.

netted chain fern Woodwardia areolata –Thisfern gets its name from the raised netted veinson the sterile, pinnatifid fronds. The fertilefronds have narrower pinnae with elongate soriarranged end to end. Chain fern always occursin moist areas, often forming extensivecolonies. It is found in only five counties of ex-treme southern Illinois.

There are more than 100 species of ferns and lycophytes in Illinois, but half of them occur in nine or fewer counties and 30 of them grow in only one county. As with most plant conservationsituations, a critical factor when protecting a species is preservation of its habitat. Natural habitats are continually being converted to other uses, resulting in the loss of native fern species. Otherspecies may be at the edge of their natural range. The hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula) is rare in Illinois but more abundant in the eastern United States. Illinois represents the extremewestern edge of this species’ distributional range. Many fern species grow only in specific areas and can thus serve as indicators of critical habitats. For example, cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea),sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis) and netted chain fern (Woodwardia areolata) all prefer wetland habitats. Others such as walking fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum) and purple cliff brake (Pellaea atrop-urpurea) prefer limestone substrates. The presence of broad beech fern (Phegopteris hexagonoptera) in an area may be a predictor of the presence of rare ferns and orchids.

Fern enthusiasts, collecting for home and garden, can negatively impact wild fern populations. In his book The Ferns of Florida (2000), Gil Nelson says “Given the number of responsible nativenurseries that propagate and sell native fern species, coupled with the relatively low cost of such nursery-grown specimens, there is neither need nor justification for taking specimens from the wild.”A number of Illinois fern species can be easily cultivated. Growing ferns from spores provides an inexpensive means to assemble a diverse collection. For common species, such as maidenhair andChristmas fern, plants can readily be located outside of parks and natural areas. A single frond placed on paper for a day or so releases thousands to millions of spores that can be sown on moist,sterile potting soil. The gametophytes that result reproduce sexually thereby producing sporophytes that can be transplanted to pots or outdoor locations. The American Fern Society Web page(http://amerfernsoc.org/) and other sources give detailed instructions on how to grow ferns from spores. There are many advantages to landscaping with native plants, including drought tolerance,few predators, disease resistance and little required maintenance.

Adapted from Coulter, John M. 1904. Plant structures: a second book of botany. D. Appleton and Company,New York. Twentieth Century Text-books. Adapted from Bergen, Joseph Y. and Bradley M. Davis.

1906. Principles of botany. Boston: Ginn.